Introduction
What if you could achieve Satori (condition of spiritual awakening), enlightenment, and Nirvana based on your own work and the support of a book? And you could do this at home without being tied to a teacher, a master, guru, Lama, or any other spiritual leader?
Whatever path you follow, whether you are a Christian, an atheist, or a Buddhist, or whether you practice within different schools of Buddhism or walk along different spiritual paths, it all amounts to transcending our world of opposites. It is a matter of awakening to true reality (condition of Satori), experiencing enlightenment, and living continuously in a happy and liberated state (condition of Nirvana).
Since ZEN itself uses no dogmatic teachings or resources, it is characterized as the essence of all spiritual paths. You will recognize that ZEN is also contained in your personal spiritual concept or system of beliefs. Everyone can practice ZEN, independent of his denomination or belief.
The original ZEN
ZEN is an ancient spiritual path, which is generally known as the fast and direct path to enlightenment.
The fast and direct path consists of omitting all tools like dogmatic teachings, saints, angels, gods, writings for recitation, etc. and transcending one’s own spirit in a contemplative-meditative way. In this way, Satori, enlightenment, and Nirvana are experienced.
Since this direct way, without any resources, is hardly understandable for anyone, ZEN has been viewed as a mystical spiritual path full of secrets.
Unfortunately, students find no help for their own path to enlightenment or Nirvana in the historical ZEN literature- this literature describes mostly the advanced conditions of consciousness (enlightenment and Nirvana itself).
These old writings make a secret of the necessary steps for obtaining enlightenment or Nirvana and the spiritual experiences on the path leading to them.
What is the "secret"?
When students begin the practice of Zen alone and unaided, they usually have no idea where the spiritual path will lead. They have a vague idea of what satori (awakening), enlightenment and nirvana might be, and they confidently orient their practice along these lines.
Many of these students initially have quick and sudden deep spiritual experiences, or they experience great strides in awareness. The students are usually unable, or are able only to a limited degree, to make any sense of these experiences. This is because they lack the solid framework to understand them, or they have no suitable teacher or master nearby who could support them.
Unfortunately, students can find no help, not even in the historical Zen literature, since the latter mostly describes only the advanced states of consciousness such as enlightenment and nirvana itself. Details are completely lacking in the old written material about the necessary steps to be taken or spiritual experiences along the way. As a result, students sometimes practice for years without achieving any significant “success”.
If you are a Zen practitioner meditating alone without the personal guidance of a Zen teacher or master, you deserve all the information and support that is available. In this regard it is wise to know such information and background as soon as you start on the Zen path.
Such information and background material has never before been published in this format and to this degree of completeness. Until now, this information was considered "secret" or “mysterious.”
Therefore, I have decided to convey in this book all information, background knowledge, Zen techniques and instructions you need to successfully follow the Zen path alone and unaided. Consequently, this book is designed to be a kind of self-help manual for Zen.By using the knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships, information, and techniques, the Zen path can be drastically shortened.
